Homemade Butter Recipe

Butter. There’s just something about it that conjures up thoughts about my life. Firstly- the thoughts of me spending my whole summer (two years ago) watching Paula Deen re-runs. Fine call me obsessed, but I call her my third grandmother. Oh, speaking of grandmothers- the thought that my {real} grandmother probably has more butter in her refrigerator than any major supermarket in the country, freaks the heck out of me, but makes me laugh at times. Do you think I am kidding you? At this point in time, she has 54 pounds of butter in her “mini” refrigerator right now (which she keeps in her bedroom!). Oh, and this is not counting her two other (regular sized) refrigerators, which I am sure are heavily stocked with a plethora of butter, as well.

My grandmother is obsessed with butter, and you know something- I don’t blame her! The stuff is awesome! Most of the butter she has stocked up in her refrigerators (that can probably last until the next ice age) goes to making ghee (clarified butter), which is the only thing she uses when she is cooking Indian food.

As a little gift and a joke, I decided to make homemade butter to bring to my grandmother before I came to visit her this weekend. And boy was this weekend snowy! Anyway, the smallest things make my grandmother laugh and make her happy. And I was sure that homemade butter would. I didn’t want any spattering around the kitchen and I only had about a pint of heavy cream, so I took a Mason jar, poured the cream in, twisted the lid on, and started shaking. No need to pull out a Kitchen Aid mixer if you don’t want to!

Okay, time for some exercise!

The first thing you need to know about making butter in a mason jar is to have a clean jar that doesn’t smell. Unless you want tomato butter, I’d suggest using a new (or really clean) jar.. They’re cheap and can be found just about anywhere…

The second thing you’ll need to know is that you should stretch. Making butter in a jar is a great workout, and every good workout should begin with some stretching. I’m just kidding, but if you want to stretch, by all means, do so.

Keep in mind that you should be using quality ingredients to make homemade butter. That means good cream and good salt. If you want to make unsalted butter, just leave out the salt.

While making the butter you need to shake that jar like a madman (or madwoman). After a couple of minutes, you’ll have something that resembles something like whipped cream.

Then, after that strenuous workout, things will be a bit easier for you… Hopefully. The fat and the liquid from the cream will begin to separate.

Once it does, remove the buttermilk, which can be used for different dishes. Once the fat is alone in the jar, add a bit of ice water and shake the jar. Discard the water. Repeat this shaking process until the water is clear. If you do not clean out any of the buttermilk, properly, the butter will spoil sooner.

After the butter is ready, package it up and put it in your refrigerator or freezer. When you’re ready to use your homemade butter, spread it on anything from homemade soda bread, on these, or drop a dollop of butter on a stack of delicious homemade pancakes.

Homemade Butter Recipe

I used about a pint of heavy cream, which took me about 15 – 20 minutes to make into butter (in a Mason Jar). If you’d rather not go through a 20 minute workout, you can make this in your Kitchen Aid or food processor. With a Kitchen Aid mixer, mix the cream with the whisk attachment until the fat and liquid separate.

Yields: About 8 Tablespoons of Butter

Ingredients: Good quality cream; heavy cream or manufacturing cream can be used (at room temperature)

Salt (optional)

Ice Water

Materials: Mason Jar

Preparation in a Mason Jar: Place about 1 pint of cream in a clean Mason Jar, add salt to taste (optional) and shake for about 15 to 20 minutes until the cream has separated into buttermilk and butter fat.

Drain all of the buttermilk into a glass and either discard or save it for use in other recipes.

Once the fat is alone in the jar, add a bit of cold water and shake the jar. Discard the water and repeat this process until the water is clear. If you do not clean out any of the buttermilk properly, the butter will spoil sooner.

Preparation in a Kitchen Aid or Food Processor: Place about 1 pint of cream and some salt (to taste) in a food processor or Kitchen Aid mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

Turn the food processor or mixer on and mix until the cream has separated into two things- buttermilk and butter fat.

Drain all of the buttermilk out into a glass and either discard or save it for use in other recipes.

Once the fat is alone in the food processor or the mixer, add a bit of the ice water and turn the appliance on low speed. Watch out for spattering. Discard the water and repeat this process until the water is clear.

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36 Comments

Loving this, Kamran! I used to be a weeny and feel guilty about slathering butter on toast, muffins etc. But clearly I’ve grown out of that at this point in my life :) Priorities, priorities…Thanks for sharing!

Kamran – First off, thank you for stopping by my site and for adding me to your blogroll! I’m woefully behind in the food blog world and I don’t get “out there”enough to find new sites – so glad that you’ve introduced me to yours!

I love this post! I grew up in the country, where every school child gets a lesson in making butter as part of the school curriculum. In my old age, I’m reminded of the deliciousness, in addition to the ironic fattening/exercise properties of this activity.

This reminds of when I was about 6 I went to a mock prairie house and churned butter by hand. It was a lot – especially when you are 6!! Maybe I’ll try it again now that my arms have a little bit more muscle.

How funny my 9 year old made butter in school last week, I asked if he used a mixer, and he said “no a jar!”. I will have to try it the old fashion way sometime. I wish we could get locally fresh cream here.

Wow your grandmother had 54pounds of butter in her friedge and it’s in her bedroom? That’s probably how I’ll end up lol. Thankyou so much for the step by step on how to make butter. I’ve never made it before but like you adore the stuff to bits :)

i accidentally made butter a long time ago. i didnt even know butter happens when you overwhip cream. i had to throw everything away! haha. now this is in my arsenal when i host brunch. btw, the photos look wonderful.

ooh, what a great reminder — I have been wanting to make butter now that the weather has cooled down quite a bit, and especially now that the holiday season has calmed down. Yum, your photos are inspiring me for a new project!!

I remember learning how butter was made way back in elementary school – we learned about the Pioneers making their way West, and we got to make butter. Never have since then! I should change all of that – and teach my kids to make butter! As always, wonderful photos.

I am so tired of the ‘butter’ sold in the stores. They do not even contain milk!!When I taught Kg we made butter every year just like this. The kids loved it. I was looking for a recipe for this so I will just stick with this one. It is the best.
Thanks

my 9 year old was wanting to work in the kitchen…the first thing i tought her was how to do butter in a mason jar…she thinks its a wonderful thing and is always in the kitchen…I enjoy the time we get to spend together. Love it.

Kamran I love your blog, your writing and your pictures.
When I first made butter like this my grandmother said it was a waste as I didn’t first ferment it into yoghurt. So I follow her advise and now have a super tangy taste to the butter.